Mutual Learning: Living independently in cities – local approaches for persons with disabilities cover image
15 October 2025 at 19:30 — 15 October 2025 at 23:00
19:30 Official Dinner

Venue TBC

9:00-9:15 Arrival and registration

Official venue: Vienna Social Fund (VSF) Erdbergstrasse 200 - Room TBC
 

9:15-9:45 Opening session

Welcoming words by Vienna

  • Susanne Gabrle, Management disability & inclusion of the Vienna Social Fund/Mayor or DM, City of Vienna (tbc)

Opening words by Eurocities

  • Sofia Martinsson, representative of the Eurocities’ informal WG on the inclusion of persons with disabilities (tbc)
9:45-10:30 Participants' updates and expectations

Updates from participants on their work, current trends and local policies on the inclusion of persons with disabilities. It will be an opportunity to reflect on the expectations for the two mutual learning days.

10:30-11:00 Coffee break
11:00-12:00 Setting up the context – Ensuring independent living for persons with disabilities in Vienna

Introduction to the city of Vienna, the VS and services for persons with disabilities

  • Ivana Veznikova, Jutta Rozinski, Wolfgang Biber, Management disability & inclusion of the Vienna Social Fund, City of Vienna
12:00-13:30 Lunch Break
13:30-14:00 Transfer to the site visit

45 Minutes – underground U3 Erdberg – U1 Keplerplatz

Address here

14:00-16:00 Site visit: "Garconnierenverbünde"

Address: Leben ohne Krankenhaus (LOK) Grätzlkreis and Garconnierenverbünde 1100 Wien, Sonnwendgasse 29/3/EG

16:00-17:00 Reflecting on lessons learned from Vienna’s approach to independent living for persons with disabilities

Interactive workshop to identify the key learning points as well as elements that could be transferred into a different context.

19:30 Informal Dinner

Magdas Hotel, 1030 Wien, Ungargasse 38 (U3 Rochusgasse) 

Join fellow participants for the dinner, where we will enjoy local cuisine and pleasant conversations.

8:30 Meeting point

Stephansplatz/central/Depending on Hotel location and transfer to the site visit 

9:15-10:40 Site visit 2 – “Garconnierenverbünde” (U2 Seestadt)

Divided in two groups 

  1. Organisation Wiener Sozialdienste, Garconnierenverbund Seestadt - Address: 1220 Wien Simone-de-Beauvoir-Platz 7/Top 201 
  2. Group 2: Organisation HABIT, Garconnierenverbund - Address: 1220 Wien, Ilse-Buck-Straße 20 
10:40-11:30 Transfer to the venue

Address

11:30-11:45 Coffee break
11:45-12:30 Good practices from cities on how to promote independent living for persons with disabilities

As an alternative to a traditional debate, the fishbowl technique aims to generate meaningful one-on-one discussions on the pros and cons of a given subject. A pair of cities sits opposite each other and are isolated to discuss, while the rest of the participants sit around the outside and observe without interrupting. The facilitator is focused on the core group discussion.

Read here the call for good practices and apply before 31 July!

12:30-13:30 Lunch Break
13:30-15:00 Transfer session on urban challenges

Two presenting cities (TBD) will focus on the challenges local authorities face when addressing independent living for persons with disabilities.

Read here the call for challenges and apply before 31 July!

15:00-15:30 Closing remarks

  • Rapporteurs from the parallel sessions sharing the conclusions 

  • XXXX, Head of the Vienna Social Fund, City of Vienna (tbc) 

  • Sofia Martinsson, representative of the Eurocities’ informal WG on the inclusion of persons with disabilities